For adults with hypertension, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, and overweight or obesity, the VLC diet resulted in greater improvements in systolic blood pressure, glycemic control, and weight over a 4-month period compared with the DASH diet.
Category: Cardiometabolic Health
Low and high carbohydrate isocaloric diets on performance, fat oxidation, glucose and cardiometabolic health in middle age males
These results: (i) challenge whether higher carbohydrate intake is superior for athletic performance, even during shorter-duration, higher-intensity exercise; (ii) demonstrate that lower carbohydrate intake may be a therapeutic strategy to independently improve glycemic control, particularly in those at risk for diabetes; (iii) demonstrate a unique relationship between continuous glycemic parameters and systemic metabolism.
Low carbohydrate ketogenic diets reduce cardiovascular risk factor levels in obese or overweight patients with T2DM: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets effectively improved cardiovascular risk factors (blood glucose, weight, and lipids) in obese/ overweight patients, especially those with T2DM when compared with non-ketogenic diets.
Effects of a six-month low-carbohydrate diet on glycemic control, body composition and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes: an open-label RCT
A non-calorie-restricted LCD high in fat has significant beneficial effects on glycaemic control and body composition, and does not adversely affect cardiovascular risk factors in patients with T2D. Reducing carbohydrate intake to 10-25 E% appears to be an effective and safe nutritional approach with respect to classical cardiovascular risk factors and hypoglycaemia.
Effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on insulin-resistant dyslipoproteinemia – a randomized controlled feeding trial
A low-carbohydrate diet, high in saturated fat, improved insulin-resistant dyslipoproteinemia and lipoprotein(a), without adverse effect on LDL cholesterol. Carbohydrate restriction might lower CVD risk independently of body weight.
Effect of carbohydrate-restricted dietary interventions on LDL particle size and number in adults in the context of weight loss or weight maintenance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
This review summarizes findings from 38 randomized trials including a total of 1785 participants. Carbohydrate-restricted dietary interventions were associated with an increase in LDL peak particle size and a reduction in LDL-P. The effect of carbohydrate-restricted dietary interventions on LDL peak particle size appeared to be partially explained by differences in weight loss between intervention groups and exploratory analysis revealed a shift from small dense to larger LDL subclasses.
A randomized controlled trial of pharmacist-led therapeutic carbohydrate and energy restriction in type 2 diabetes
These reductions occurred concurrently with clinically meaningful improvements in hemoglobin A1C, anthropometrics, blood pressure, and triglycerides (all p < 0.0001). These data indicate community pharmacists are a viable and innovative option for implementing short-term nutritional interventions for people with type 2 diabetes, particularly when medication management is a safety concern.
The effect of low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets on weight loss and lipid levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis
This meta-analysis suggests that low-carbohydrate diets are effective at improving weight loss, HDL and TG lipid profiles.
Saturated Fats and Health: A Reassessment and Proposal for Food-based Recommendations: JACC State-of-the-Art Review
The recommendation to limit dietary saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake has persisted despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Most recent meta-analyses of randomized trials and observational studies found no beneficial effects of reducing SFA intake on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality, and instead found protective effects against stroke. Although SFAs increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, in most individuals, this is not due to increasing levels of small, dense LDL particles, but rather larger LDL which are much less strongly related to CVD risk.
Comparison of dietary macronutrient patterns of 14 popular named dietary programmes for weight and cardiovascular risk factor reduction in adults: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised trials
Compared with usual diet, moderate certainty evidence supports modest weight loss and substantial reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure for low carbohydrate (eg, Atkins, Zone), low fat (eg, Ornish), and moderate macronutrient (eg, DASH, Mediterranean) diets at six but not 12 months using GRADE methodology.